Spills and releases of oil and other materials are a common occurrence in waterways. Such releases can occur at transfer stations or may result from major damage to the hull of a ship or tanker. Other sources of contaminants, such as silt, debris, and other pollutants or suspended particulates, include dredging operations, construction projects at or near bodies of water, industrial releases into waterways from manufacturing and processing facilities, and natural events, i.e., floods, storms, mud slides, and the like.
Medical waste including bacteria and debris, such as used syringes, is another source of water contamination that has recently become of concern. When washed ashore or into a body of water that is used for drinking water or simply for recreation, such waste directly impacts water quality and presents a health risk from bacterial infection. Human and animal waste present similar health risks if allowed to enter into a body of water or other waterway.
The environmental and health consequences of spills and releases of water-borne pollutants are potentially grave; however, they can be mitigated or abated through timely containment and cleanup.
Floating barrier or containment boom systems have been devised to isolate aquatic spills. Typically, they employ a series of buoyant boom sections that have segments of curtains or skirts attached thereto. The curtains are typically made of water-impervious, non-oil-absorbent, flexible sheet material. The curtains extend downward into the water below the boom section and are usually stabilized by at least a weighted ballast integrated into the lower edge of the curtain.
The variations upon this basic concept employ various, sometimes elaborate, mechanical means for securing boom sections to curtain segments and for interconnecting boom curtain sections to form a continuous containment system. Such booms may be provided in small sections and require extensive subassembly prior to deployment, which represents an increase in labor requirements as well as an increase in deployment time. These increases represent an increased cost and delay in containment time that amplifies the potential environmental impact, particularly for major spill events having large containment areas.
Some containment systems employ a series of cables, wires, and other structural supports to provide rigidity and/or stability to the curtain segments and the system as a whole. Due to the rigidity, some prior art booms are susceptible to the movement of contaminants beneath the boom curtain. When exposed to wind-generated currents, tidal currents, or wave conditions, such booms have been known to break under the load, have been overtopped by waves, or have had oil propelled over and under the boom. Inadequate curtain length also contributes to the passage of contaminants beneath the containment system.
The materials used in conventional containment systems may be sensitive to certain environmental conditions (e.g., salt water and ultraviolet light) and thus too quickly deteriorate. For instance, metal parts may rust and corrode. Further, curtain fabrics may lose flexibility or crack at low temperatures, or may deteriorate due to prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light.
It is therefore desirable to provide a boom containment system that is inert to environmental conditions that can cause deterioration of boom materials and components, and that can be manufactured in continuous sheets to minimize the labor requirement and number of field connections required at the time of deployment. The containment system should be flexible, structurally sound, and capable of withstanding severe wind, wave, current, and tidal fluctuations. It should maintain freeboard in wave conditions, be easy to deploy, and meet site-specific and depth requirements. The containment system should also retain its flexibility at low temperatures. The present invention possesses these and additional qualities.